Being Especially Thankful . . . Memories of a more peaceful Mumbai

I felt a shiver run up my spine when I heard the news that a group of terrorists had staged a horrific attack in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, and killed over 170 innocent people.
It was especially shocking to me because in April I had been to several of the sites the terrorists targeted. I remember as if it were yesterday, sitting in Leopold Caf/, having lunch at the Taj and walking along the waterfront, all must-see tourist sites.
Leopold’s is a gathering place for expatriates, foreign visitors and locals alike. Stu and I sat drinking a beer and sharing a crowded table, while talking to the people next to us, visiting from Scotland. Like us, they had wanderlust to see new places and meet new people. Although we usually travel alone I am a “talker” and like to take whatever opportunity I can get to get to know interesting people. Nevertheless, Leopold’s is a watering hole where interaction is the norm. We bought the mandatory Leopold’s tee shirts and coffee mugs and leisurely took in the scene.
Stu stayed a little longer at the table and I walked the nearby streets to shop at all the street stalls crowding the sidewalks, making passage difficult. I had a great time negotiating, with the gentle prodding of my guide, saying, “Vicki, you’re offering too much - offer half!” I did - some vendors took my offer in good cheer and others sneered a decisive “no.” They all spoke English, but the money was confusing to me.
From Leopold’s, our guide took us to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel - it’s the grandest of Mumbai’s hotels sitting on the waterfront facing the Indian Ocean.
We walked along the waterfront and decided to have lunch at the Taj. It had been built in 1903 by a successful Indian businessman who had been ejected and rejected by the then “whites only” British Imperial Hotel.
We had lunch at the luxury hotel. I remember walking up the wide handsome staircase, through the elegant lobby. We requested and received a wonderful seat overlooking the harbor. To our left was the Gateway to India Arch and below was the boat dock. It was that dock used by the terrorists that became one of the scenes of death and destruction. According to published reports, three of the ten known terrorists held out the longest from the safety of the 105-year-old building during the 60-hour siege.
It could have been us . . . I’m so thankful!
The dock is a particularly busy location because it’s where tourists (and many Indian family groups) take one of the hundred small boats to go up the coast to visit the famous Elephantine Island, a World Heritage site.
We saw crowds of people waiting for their rides. This is where the terrorists allegedly launched their devastating attack.
It could have been us . . . I’m so thankful!
Mumbai is a city of traffic jams. It took immense planning by the terrorists to get through the city of 18 million people. I remember the slow ride to the airport, no faster than 35 miles per hour. The massive number of cars, tuk-tuks (tiny taxis) and trucks clogged the roads night and day.
How these well-organized terrorists navigated seven miles of the city and “hit” very targeted people and sites is most remarkable.
It could have been us . . . I’m so thankful!
My heart goes out to the families of the innocent victims. How brave of the nanny who saved the Chabad rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and wife Rivkah’s two-year-old son Moshe, yet how sad that he is now an orphan.
I want to reach out to the families of those lost. How can we help? How powerless we all are…
But one thing we can be thankful for in these uncertain times is loving the people dear to us. To remember to say “I love you” to the special someone in your life. I’m forever giving hugs of love - it feels so good.
I am thankful to have family and friends to love and be loved by.
On a sad note, my deepest condolences to Cathy Lane, friend and colleague, on losing her beloved dad, Donald Goodwin. It’s so hard to say goodbye. I do feel my parents are with me in spirit, but I’d love to be able to give them a hug. I know Cathy feels the same way.